COLOMBO: A Sri Lankan Test cricketer has been suspended after a Norwegianwoman accused his friend of raping her in a hotel room where he waspresent, an official said Monday.

Dhanushka Gunathilaka, 27, and his friend, who cannot be named, took twoNorwegian women to the hotel where the player was staying in Colombo in theearly hours of Sunday.

One of the women later accused the second man, a British passport-holder ofSri Lankan origin, of raping her and police arrested him.

The 26-year-old “is under arrest and we are continuing our investigations,”a police official told AFP. “A Norwegian tourist made the complaint ofrape.”

He said there was no allegation against Gunathilaka, who is currently SriLanka´s best-performing batsman in an ongoing tour by South Africa.

However Sri Lanka Cricket on Sunday night suspended him on a “misconduct”charge, although he is allowed to play in the match that is currentlytaking place.

The governing body´s rules stipulate that during matches players must beback in their hotel rooms by midnight and cannot have guests.

The cricket board will also “withhold Gunathilaka´s fee for the ongoingTest match until the outcome of the inquiry,” it said.